Definition

Noun: A dish of meat or fish stir-fried with vegetables (such as celery, onions, peppers, or bean sprouts) and seasoned with ginger, garlic, and soy sauce. It is typically served with rice. This dish was created in the United States and is frequently found on the menus of Chinese restaurants there.

Usage

• As a dish name: The word "chop suey" is used as a singular, uncountable noun to refer to the dish itself.
  • For dinner, we ordered chop suey and egg rolls.
  • This restaurant is famous for its chicken chop suey.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in a cultural context to discuss the history of American-Chinese cuisine and culinary adaptation.
  • The invention of chop suey is a fascinating chapter in the story of immigrant food culture.

Variants and Related Words

• Chop suey vegetables: A pre-packaged mix of vegetables commonly used to prepare the dish.
  • I bought a bag of chop suey vegetables from the supermarket.

Synonyms

• Stir-fry: (a more general term for a dish cooked by stir-frying ingredients).
• American-Chinese dish: (a descriptive term for its category).

Notes on Meaning

• The primary meaning is the specific dish described in the definition. It does not refer to a random mixture or "hodgepodge," which is a common but incorrect metaphorical use. That meaning is associated with the unrelated term "potpourri" or the phrase "a bit of everything."

Noun

1. meat or fish stir-fried with vegetables (e.g., celery, onions, peppers or bean sprouts) seasoned with ginger and garlic and soy sauce; served with rice; created in the United States and frequently served in Chinese restaurants there